BMW K75RT vs Kawasaki ZX-6R

The BMW K75RT passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki ZX-6R: 84.2% vs 78.1%, a 6.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025

Metric	BMW K75RT	Kawasaki ZX-6R
First-time pass rate	84.2%	78.1%
Outright fail rate	11.5%	14.0%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+4.8 pts	-5.8 pts
Engine size	750cc	599cc
Rank among all models	#2690 of 5428	#3895 of 5428
Median miles at test	53,392	19,446
MOT tests analysed	374	173,956
Most common failure	brakes	lighting and signalling

First-time outcomes on normal tests, 2005–2025. "Most common failure" is the component group with the most recorded defects on failed tests. Read pass rates against test counts: a smaller sample is noisier. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

"Vs comparable bikes" is the first-time pass rate minus the rate expected for each bike's own mix of age, mileage and test class, in percentage points: positive means better than comparable bikes. How this works.

Pass rate by test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested

Test year	BMW K75RT	Kawasaki ZX-6R
2006	90.7%	82.8%
2007	78.3%	81.0%
2008	83.8%	78.4%
2009	93.9%	76.6%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	BMW K75RT	Kawasaki ZX-6R
30k-40k miles	90.0%	71.8%
40k-50k miles	93.0%	69.5%
50k-60k miles	78.2%	69.0%

Bands with fewer than 30 tests for either bike are left out.

BMW K75RT 84.2% pass · 374 tests KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests

See each bike's full report (trend, mileage curve, failure breakdown and rivals) on its own page.